How much does it cost?
Service credits cost one cent each. There is a minimum purchase of 500 service credits at a time ($5.00). Each paid service may use a different number of service credits. Electronic messages cost 50 service credits each to send (50 cents). Each photo costs 100 service credits to send ($1.00).
Are there any other fees?
Each transaction is subject to a $3.00 processing fee regardless of the amount of the purchase. For 500 service credits at one cent each plus the processing fee, the absolute minimum purchase amount is $8.00. There are no other fees or charges.
What is the difference between service credits and a Prepaid Account?
Service credits are used for electronic messaging and photos on the SmartInmate platform. They are purchased in advance, stored in your account, and are non-refundable. A Prepaid Account is a separate balance used for telephone calls to your registered phone number and for remote video visitation sessions. You deposit funds into a Prepaid Account tied to YOUR phone number. These are two separate balance types and cannot be combined or transferred between each other.
What is the difference between a Prepaid Account and a PIN Debit Account?
A Prepaid Account is tied to YOUR phone number. You deposit funds into it, and any incarcerated individual at a participating detention facility can call that registered number, with charges deducted from your balance. Your Prepaid Account balance can also be used to pay for remote video visitation sessions. A PIN Debit Account is tied to a SPECIFIC incarcerated individual. You deposit funds for that person, and once deposited, those funds belong to the incarcerated individual. They can use PIN Debit funds to make calls to unregistered phone numbers, or they may choose to use them for calls to registered numbers as well. Choose Prepaid if you want to receive calls to your number and pay for video visits, or PIN Debit if you want to provide funds directly to a specific incarcerated individual for their phone calls.
I was charged but my service credits or funds did not appear. What happened?
If you were charged but do not see your service credits or funds, first allow a few minutes for the transaction to process. Then log in to your account and check both the service credit balance and the Prepaid Account or PIN Debit balance, as you may have purchased to the wrong account type. Check your transaction history in the "My Account" section to confirm the purchase went through. If your service credits or funds still do not appear after a few minutes, contact our Customer Care team through the contact form with your transaction date and amount, and we will investigate immediately.
I deposited money to the wrong phone number. What should I do?
If you have deposited funds to the wrong phone number or the wrong Prepaid Account, contact our Customer Care team as soon as possible through the contact form. Provide the incorrect phone number and the correct phone number, along with the date and amount of the deposit. Our team will review your request and do their best to assist you.
My payment was declined. What should I do?
If your payment is declined, first verify that you have entered your card details correctly, including the card number, expiration date, and CVV. Check that your billing address matches exactly what your bank has on file. If you are receiving a "Volume Exceeded" error, you have reached the four-transaction limit within 24 hours, try again later. Please note that even when a transaction is declined, your bank may place a temporary hold on the funds. This hold is not a charge from Smart Communications. It is placed by your bank and will typically release within 1-3 business days depending on your bank's policies. If the issue persists, try using a different card or contact our Customer Care team through the contact form for assistance.
I see a pending charge on my bank statement but the transaction was declined. Why?
When a transaction is declined, your bank may still place a temporary authorization hold on the funds. This is not a charge from Smart Communications. It is a standard banking process. These temporary holds typically release within 1-3 business days, depending on your bank's policies. Smart Communications does not have the ability to release these bank-side holds. If the hold does not release after several business days, please contact your bank directly.
I am getting a "Volume Exceeded" error when making a purchase. What does that mean?
Our merchant processor will only allow up to four successful transactions for a given credit or debit card within a 24-hour period. If you receive a "Volume Exceeded" error and your transaction is declined it simply means that you have reached the four-transaction limit and will need to wait until the next 24-hour period before making another purchase. Contacting your bank will not resolve this error; only waiting for the 24-hour period to pass will clear this error.
How does billing work for video visits?
Remote video visits are billed per minute of actual use against your Prepaid Account balance, similar to how phone calls are billed. When you schedule a remote visit, a hold is placed on your Prepaid Account for the maximum cost of the scheduled time slot. You are only charged for the actual minutes used during the visit. Any unused held funds are released back to your Prepaid Account, typically within one hour. If the visit does not occur or is cancelled, all held funds will release back to your Prepaid Account. You must have sufficient funds in your Prepaid Account to schedule a remote visit. Service credits and PIN Debit Account funds cannot be used for video visits.
What are COD messages?
COD stands for "Collect on Delivery." If an incarcerated individual does not have any service credits, they may still send a message to you and request that you pay COD to open the message. The system will ask if you want to pay 50 service credits (50 cents) from your balance to open and read the message. In these cases, the incarcerated individual has NOT used any service credits to send the message, so it is still only paid for one time, by the recipient, not the sender.
Can I use a pre-paid debit card to purchase service credits?
Our merchant processor will accept most cards with a Visa, Master Card, or American Express logo on the front. Most pre-paid cards are accepted but we cannot guarantee that any specific card will be accepted. This will depend on the issuing bank which may have restrictions on the types of transactions which may be charged on the card. Registering the card with a mailing address will help to improve acceptance of pre-paid cards.
Do you automatically bill my credit card when I run low on service credits?
No, we do not store your credit card number and we never automatically charge your card under any circumstances. Your payment method is only charged when you purchase service credits, load funds into a Prepaid Account, or add funds to an incarcerated individual's PIN Debit Account. Video visitation is billed against your Prepaid Account balance, not your credit or debit card directly.
Can an incarcerated individual charge my credit card or purchase service credits using my credit card?
No, we do not store your credit card number and your contacts cannot purchase service credits using your payment method. Service credits must be purchased by you through the website using a credit or debit card. Service credits may be transferred to an incarcerated individual by using the Transfer Credits option after they have been purchased.
Where can I see my transaction history?
Log in to your account and go to the "My Account" section. You will see your purchase history and transaction details including dates, amounts, and descriptions of each transaction. This allows you to verify your purchases and track your account activity.
Do service credits expire?
Once purchased, service credits do not expire and can be used at any time in the future.
Can unused service credits be refunded?
No, service credit purchases are non-refundable as stated during the purchase process. However, if you have a Prepaid Account balance of $5.00 or more, you can request a refund of those funds through the self-service refund page in your account.
When are service credits deducted?
Service credits are deducted from your account when a message is sent. If a message is sent collect or COD, service credits would be deducted when the recipient opens the message the first time. Once a message has used service credits it will stay in your inbox until you delete it. The message can be read as many times as you like once it has been received. Any given message will only be charged for one time. If you use service credits to send a message, the recipient will not need to pay service credits to read it.
If you have a question that is not answered here, please use the contact form to submit your question to our Customer Care team and we will respond as quickly as possible.